


Let Me Count the Ways

by orphan_account



Category: jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Acrophobia, Fluff, M/M, Phobias
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 02:46:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4649268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Well, I've got you anyway, no matter what," Mark assured, and he felt Jack loosen his grip on the safety bar before entwining their fingers together in one swift movement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Count the Ways

"Is this one of those goddamn sappy love tunnels?"

"What? No! Stop trying to guess, just wait until I say you can look, alright?"

Jack sighed and contented himself to listening to the ruckus of the fair that surrounded him and his boyfriend. They had been on plenty of rides, but just a few minutes ago, Mark had pulled Jack's beanie down over his eyes and took hold of the younger man's arm. When Jack had asked why, the answer had been that he was being taken to the most romantic ride ever invented. Jack wondered if he would regret going along with Mark's little bright idea.

"Why did we stop?" the Irishman asked. Mark replied,"We're standing in line. Would you shut up and be patient?" The joke was clear in his voice, so Jack knew that he wasn't upset, but he played along.

"Some romantic you are," he scoffed,"telling your date to shut up. I have half a mind to skip this so-called 'most romantic ride ever invented'."

"Too late!" his boyfriend cheered. "We're at the front of the line!"

Jack was led to the seat, where Mark sat next to him and pulled down the safety bar. "This is gonna be awesome," the American promised.

"Are we on a roller coaster?" Jack guessed, beanie still obstructing his view. He reached up to tug it back up where it belonged, but Mark swatted him for it. "Wait 'til we get to the good part!" he insisted.

"How long's that gonna take?"

Mark sighed before chuckling. "You're so impatient."

"Guilty."

Their seat shifted then, and the two started moving backwards, slowly, Mark's shoes tapping against the thick plastic of the ride. Jack kicked the American's leg with his own. "I'm not the only one who's impatient," he teased. "What're you gonna do? Propose?"

His boyfriend made an indignant noise in the back of his throat. "I can't take my boyfriend on a nice ride just to be nice?" Jack shrugged. "Just suspicious, is all. Nothing's ever simple with you."

"Oh, you love it."

Jack did.

They went on in silence as the ride moved back, then up, before it stopped completely. Jack furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "What the fuck kind of ride is this?" he asked bluntly. "Are we done?"

"You can look now," Mark instructed, and Jack pulled back his beanie so that he could see where his boyfriend had taken him.

The moment he could see, Jack's hands shot out and gripped the safety bar with white knuckles.

"The view is amazing!" Mark was gushing as he took in the scenery from where they sat at the top of the fair's Ferris wheel. "I told you it was romantic, didn't I?"

"I cannot believe we stopped at the very top," Jack breathed, legs trembling, having been transfigured into cheap jelly.

"Neither can I," Mark agreed, attention still devoted to the horizon, and the people strolling about below them. "I just wanted to be up here with you for a little bit. It's sort of...peaceful." The American moved his hand so it was covering one of Jack's; in an instant, his eyes moved to that. "Jack, why are you..." He shifted his gaze to Jack's face, and uncomfortable expression stuck to it.

"Are you alright?"

Jack nodded, making sure he didn't look down as he did so. Looking at the horizon was...worse? Or maybe it was better. Jack didn't know. Jack didn't want to know. "I am- I'm fine. This is cool. Er, nice."

Mark stared at him, eyes crinkled in confusion. His gaze shifted between his boyfriend's paling face and his hands that were gripping the safety bar as if it were the only thing that life was worth living for. Then the older man looked down, at the fair-goers and the tents, the booths and trashcans, the food and the trees that were all beneath them.

Mark fixed Jack with a questioning gaze. "Jack, are you afraid of...heights?" The Irishman bit down on his bottom lip. "No!" he screeched, voice cracking in an embarrassing way. "I- I'm _not_ afraid of heights. I just- Oh, God, I looked down."

Mark wasn't sure whether to be amused or exasperated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It never came up!" Jack defended, voice shrill. "And I didn't know we were going on a fucking Ferris wheel! You had to be all cryptic and blindfold me!"

"Because you didn't tell me you're afraid of heights!"

"Well I mentioned it in- Oh, sweet Jesus," Jack cut himself off when he messed up and caught a glimpse of the fair below. Mark smiled, feeling a bit guilty, and wrapped an arm around the younger man, placing a hand over one of Jack's, rubbing his thumb over the white knuckles in a soothing manner. "Hey, we're OK," he murmured into the Irishman's silver-streaked hair that Mark loved so much. "You can just close your eyes. I've got you, I promise."

"I'm not afraid of falling," Jack informed, though he shut his eyes tight. "I'm just afraid of heights. They- they make me...uncomfortable."

"Well, I've got you anyway, no matter what," the American assured, and he felt his lover loosen his grip on the safety bar before entwining their fingers together in one swift movement. Mark smiled, and he saw some color return to Jack's cheeks.

Mark spent the following few minutes murmuring things in Jack's ear; anything that would distract him. He reminded him of when they had first kissed, all awkward and sloppy, fumbling fingers in each other's hair and stumbling feet knocking each other over until they were a laughing heap on the floor of Jack's kitchen. 

He talked about when they had gotten caught in the warm Ireland rain and had spent the day kissing in the sanctuary of their master pillow fort. Mark poked at Jack's stomach just to hear him giggle as they descended in the Ferris wheel, pressing kisses into the silver of the younger man's hair that reminded him of stars. Mark told him that right then and there, and was rewarded with a proper, tender, kiss on the lips. Only then did Jack's eyes open, blue and sweet and as beautiful as Mark always found them to be.

The two walked through the fair, still holding hands, with Mark's arm around Jack, tossing stories back and forth before falling into a pleasant quiet, each content simply to be near the other.


End file.
